| "Funky Worm" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single byOhio Players | ||||
| from the albumPleasure | ||||
| B-side | "Paint Me" | |||
| Released | January 16, 1973 | |||
| Recorded | 1972 | |||
| Genre | Funk[1] | |||
| Length | 2:41 | |||
| Label | Westbound | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ohio Players | |||
| Producer(s) | Ohio Players | |||
| Ohio Players singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Funky Worm" is a song by Americanfunk group theOhio Players, from their albumPleasure. It peaked at number one on the U.S.BillboardR&B chart in 1973 and also peaked at number fifteen on theBillboard Hot 100.[2]Billboard ranked it as theNo. 84 song for 1973.
The song'sARP synthesizer[3] solos, played byJunie Morrison,[4] have become a staple part inhip hop sampling history, being sampled by artists such asMC Breed,Too $hort,Dr. Dre,Xzibit, andGame. The high-pitched whine of the synthesizer on the song was often emulated by producers from the West Coast and became a staple inG-funk music.N.W.A notably sampled "Funky Worm" on their songs "Gangsta Gangsta" and "Dope Man".Ice Cube sampled "Funky Worm" for his songs"Wicked" and "'Ghetto Bird", duoKris Kross' 1992 single "Jump", Lil' ½ Dead's 1994 song "East Side, West Side",Tim Dog's single "Skip to My Loot" (featuringSmooth B),DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince's 1993 hit "Boom! Shake the Room", andRuff Ryders 1999 song "Bugout" also samples the song.[5]
It was also sampled inDe La Soul’s "Me Myself & I”, off their 1989 album3 Feet High and Rising. It was also sampled for the ring entrance forL.A.X.
The song can be heard on the fictional radio stationBounce FM, in the video gameGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas. TheGoogle Doodle celebrating the 44th anniversary ofHip Hop (August 11, 2017) featured the song on a virtual record that allows users to "scratch.".[6] The song can also be heard as a Player Anthem in the video gameRocket League, where it was released in a pack called "Behind The Samples" for free on February 1, 2022.[7]
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S.Billboard Hot 100 | 15 |
| U.S.BillboardBest Selling Soul Singles | 1 |
...taken from "Funky Worm," the 1973 funk workout from former Number Ones artists Ohio Players.
